Potatoes

I just made my favorite garden order: POTATOES!  I love growing them, harvesting them, cooking them and eating them!  I ordered a pound each of  two different types of Reds, two types of Whites, two types of Yellow and 2 Types of Russets.  I have two different types of Purples, Whites, Reds and two Fingerling that I grew and saved *seed* potatoes from this years' harvest. I plant potatoes in raised beds, 1/2 wine barrels and deep drawers from our bathroom remodel (they work great). I like having the variety and diversity all different types of potatoes.  This season I'll add another raised bed and I'm making several planting bags from leftover commercial landscaping black weed block.  I want LOTS of potatoes this year...for home use and to sell at the Market and Produce stand.  Homegrown potatoes sell themselves...they are beautiful and delicious.

Everyone Is Still Here

I'm getting used to have lots of family under-foot.  I have to be honest and say it is a bit stressful, but it is the price of having a large family.

We have the oldest son's small wedding this Saturday, so the daughters and I are working on flowers and favors.  I'm lucky, we won't have to do a dinner, Cristy at Cairos will give us the back room: yeah!

We had a great Halloween.  The N.C. grand kids and Little Lynda went over to Colusa with Kelly, Les and Grandpa Bill.  The other two grand kids are in Hawaii with their dad and Grandfather.

I finally have a nice big chicken coop.  A wonderful gentleman from Santa Rosa advertised on Craigs List and I spent my Renaissance Faire Food Booth Profits on it....I am so happy.  My girls' have checked it out, but so far they have not spent the night in it...the plan is to stick them in tonight, lock the doors and then let them out in the a.m.  I hope it works.   I still plan on getting the area fenced in.  I have looked into a goat shelter...really cute and I should have the money saved up for that after the first of the year...then the goats!  Bill's in charge of the pigs...he ordered two, but I'm going to bump that up to three...then Vincent can sell one at the fair and we'll put the other two in the freezer.  Identified 4 areas to put in pasture to rotate goats, chickens and one or two steers...here on the ranch!  I'm still working on renting the bare patch of ground across the road...but I'm guessing it will take at least a year of work to bring that fried dirt back to life: compost, compost, compost.

The best surprise this week.  Some of the Oaks we have replanted on the ranch have ACORNS!  This ranch was covered with Oaks in the old days...they were cut down to supplement Bill's great-grandfather's income by supplying the rail road with fire wood for the steam engines.  The railroad line is only yards from our home.  It always makes me smile when I see the ranches and farms that have one or two standing old Oaks in the middle of their fields...and I'm so pleased we have planted the ones we have...they are so beautiful and they belong in this valley.

Still Hanging In There

Still super busy.  Grand kids and daughter here from North Carolina.  People in and out..meals to fix and kid chasing to do!  I have lots of things going on..and no sit-down time.  Got the new chicken coop: YEAH...but it's raining and too muddy to put it in the permanent spot...so we're in a *holding* pattern and my poor chickies still don't have the *perfect* roof over their heads...too much rain and very gloomy.  Did get some onions, more broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages planted, but not the lettuce. Noticed the raspberries have put out lots of new shoots: terrific...maybe I'll have some great raspberries this year!  Still have to re-plant the asparagus, horseradish, strawberries, comfrey, mint and iris...the sun is suppose to shine next week and it'll get done then.

One More Day

Only one more day until the Renaissance Faire is finished...for a first time event it has been great.  My food turned out fantastic and we sold out by 2!  The weather is horrible, so we were low on attendance...but what the hey...I'm having fun.

Today my oldest son, Leslie turned thirty-three...after the Faire we took him to dinner at the Casino where we were joined by his sister, brother, daughter and sister-in-law....Paula and I wore our Renn Costumes and invited everyone we saw to the last day of the Faire!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

CRUNCH TIME!!

I have got to learn my limitations...you'd think I'd figure it out after all of these years!  I'm working on Renaissance skirts for Saturday...wanted to have 20, but I only have 8....may be able to get a couple more done before Saturday...

I have the beans for the food booth soaking.  I'll pressure cook those tomorrow and pre-cook the meat for the BBQ.  Tess thinks the rice takes 45 minutes...that will be done at the fairgrounds.  I plan on packing up the truck tomorrow morning.  CRAZY!!  

I don't know why I just can't go to these things and enjoy them.  Usually I don't plan on doing anything and then someone will say "Hey Lynda, let's do a ......" and of course I say "SURE!  That sounds like FUN"...even as it's coming out of my mouth I'm regretting it.  I just like last minute no commitment kinda' things...this planning stuff is too stressful...I just can't be depended on. 

So...I'm taking a break from the computer...no blogging until after Monday...too much going on.

We're STILL In Harvest!

Things were going a thousand miles an hour around here, then they came to a screeching halt (rain) and now we're up to a thousand miles an hour again!  Harvest has been and always will be the BEST of times and the WORST of times.  I love knowing the crops are coming off and all the hard work is coming to an end, but it is a very stressful time...equipment breaks down, trucks aren't dispatched, weights are incorrect, paperwork gets misplaced and employees usually pick the harvest season to ask for raises, extra time off (it's very irritating)...but it is what it is and we've been at it for so long, it *ain't* gonna' change.


Melon Harvester



Back-End of the Harvester



Vincent In The Field




Sam Following the Harvester

I haven't taken any pictures of the Rice harvest yet...they're harvesting the Organic field next to this field and I should have just zipped right over...but I didn't have a turn around spot...so I'll go out tomorrow or the next day.  The almonds and sunflowers are finished, we still have the rice, cotton and tons of melons and squash...I'm going to go out and do Sam's pecans (still too young for much of a crop), my English walnuts and I'm going to see if Sarah needs help with her pomegranates.  It feels like we'll be done in another 30 days...cross your fingers!

I had to run up to the cabin in Butte Meadows to get my sewing machine!  I took the little machine in to be serviced 3 weeks ago and they still don't have it back!  I have 12 Renaissance skirts needing waistbands and hems done.  I have my serger, but I needed to do some straight sewing...so I dashed up...it's so beautiful...nice and crisp I just wanted to stay.  I'm going to head up there for a week as soon as I can...

I should be out in the garden...but I have these darn skirts to finish...I'm much happier in the garden!

Worms and Pears

This is What a Pound of Worms Looks Like

If You Look Close You Can See Them

One of Two Bins

Well I had thought we could *build* the worm bins after dinner on Thursday's Family Fun Night...didn't happen.  We made homemade pizza and root beer floats, chatted a bit then everyone headed home because the grand kids have school in the morning.  I washed the dishes and then put together my bin for the worms.  It was EZ!  If all goes well I'll have a bin for everyone of my raised beds...that's my goal.

Prepping the Bosc Pears

I don't know if I'm avoiding my responsibilities to finish those damn Renaissance skirts or what, but I opted to can my Bosc pears this morning...they were really fast and fun to do.  I did 12 pints of regular pear slices in a medium syrup and 6 pints of pears with cinnamon hots and bay leaf.  I have never done pears before.  I've done Asian pears, but never regular pears...I wonder if Bosc pears should be considered regular pears?

Pears In Medium Syrup and Pears With Cinnamon and Bay